Pitti Uomo 91 – Impressions, DO’s & DON’Ts

When you buy something using the affiliate links on our site, we may earn a small commission.

It is once again time for some outfits impressions, outfit DO’s & DON’Ts from Pitti Uomo the world’s leading men’s fashion trade show. 

As always, many men here evolve into Pitti Peacocks and overdo their outfits but others provide interesting inspiration and detailed  ideas that can add a unique twist to your classic outfits.

How Many Pitti Pictures Are Taken

We try to capture men in movement or conversation because it looks more natural, but that is not always the case. At Pitti that means:

Pose:

Pose at Pitti Uomo

Look natural:

Look natural

And then admire yourself afterwards ;)

Look at your photos after taking them

Pitti Uomo DO’s

Just like in recent years, we tried to spot trends that might be helpful to you. Of course, negative examples can also be good to learn from, hence we add a few of those to the mix as well.

Make sure to check out our previous Pitti Uomo coverage

Dapper men at Pitti Uomo

Hats

Hats are popular once again, and not just it exotic colors but also browns or tweed.

Brown har
Bone hat with yellow hat band


Because wearing a hat doesn’t make you stand out anymore, people add unique items to their headband.

Hat band with a cigarette

Or they just come up with a special idea for a hat band. Personally, I find that too much but points for creative thinking.

Necktie as a hat band

Tweed

Tweed is very popular at Pitti. Whether it is vintage tweed, new tweed, bold or subtle tweed, stylish men appreciate the color depth and warmth of this fabric.

DO wear tweed
DO wear tweed by the folks of Tweed Country Sports of Sweden
Coat by Enzo Carfora - Vintage Tweed by Wain Shiell
Coat by Enzo Carfora – Vintage Tweed by Wain Shiell
DO wear an overcoat, collar clip and knit tie
DO wear an overcoat, collar clip and knit tie

Learn more about tweed

Shoes

The most popular shoe style is double monks in all styles, colors, and variations.

Double monks

Because of that, creative minds come up with unusual versions of double monks, such as this slipper-turned-double monk.

Slipper-turned-double monk

Another style that is gaining traction is the monk strap shoe with leather fringes. Even though this style is often associated with 60-year-old men in the U.S. who wear them with tassel loafers, a younger generation pairs them with modern suits and colorful socks

Monk Straps with Leather Fringes
Monk Straps with Leather Fringes 2
Gold collar pin

Collar Pins, Clips & Bars

Never before have we seen such a broad acceptance of collar pins, clips and bars.

Collar clip with Pitti Uomo look

We have talked about how to style them in the past, and created a guide about them, and of course, we offer them in our shop.

Collar pin by Fort Belvedere

Classic Sunglasses

Sometimes, classic is better and that’s definitely the trend for sunglasses.

Classic Sunglasses
Sunglasses and A Tweed Cap

In-Betweens

Not all things in life are black or white, but sometimes they are gray. And while some shades work well for some people, they may not work for others.

The same is true for leaving one’s button down collar buttons undone. Some people swear by it and wear their shirt collars just like that because they feel it adds some nonchalant sprezzatura to their outfit.

Unbuttoned button down collar

On the other hand, many men would consider it to be sloppy. At the end of the day, you have to decide what you prefer.

Another more subtle thing we have noticed is the positioning of the tie. To be different, some men put it in-between the overlap of their DB coats which creates a very asymmetrical look.

Tie overlapping the suit

It’s supposed to look easy-going, and relaxed although in reality it is the result of a carefully studied look. Personally, I do not like this trend but others may. Each to his own!

Pitti Uomo DON’Ts

Of course, there is nothing you can’t do anymore and so DON’Ts are simply DON’Ts if you care about classic men’s style.

But…don’t be a Pitti Peacock – it is just too much!

Bold, dandy outfit at Pitti Uomo

Do not wear a belt with a vest, because it looks bad and makes the vest gap. Moreover, the Hermes belt is generally a favorite of people who need to wear brands to feel self-confident.

Belt with a vest

The same is true for boldly embroidered numbers. If you have a little monogram on the waist or neckband of your shirts, that’s totally fine but a big 7 scream I bought this tie at Al Bazer and that is not very gentlemanly.

Embroidered tie

Definitely wear over-the-calf-socks in the winter, because they will keep you warm. Going sockless or choosing invisible socks is not advisable.

Sockless

What do you think?

What’s your take on these pictures? Did you learn anything new? Please share in the comments.

Reader Comments

  1. I’m all for style and great clothes, but some of these guys are a bit too precious. There’s flare and then there’s flamboyant sometimes less is more.

    1. Some of these chaps seem unaware that it is rather a faux-pas to wear a watch chain (presumably with a pocket watch attached) and a wristwatch at the same time. After all, even the White Rabbit made do with one..

  2. I’m glad hats are making a come back and hopefully it wont be too long before wearing a fedora with a nice blazer won’t be considered try-hard pecocking.

  3. More do’s & much more don’ts!
    More diversity ( read:color!) in the men being photographed..

  4. Besides the unsurprisingly rakish and fobbish outfits without which Pitti Uomo just wouldn’t be Pitti Uomo, I can’t help but remarking those ubiquitous tapered super-skinny pants. It has been true since the beginning, but they should start to make pants for men over 25 years of age and 120 pounds of weight again.
    And, I really like the overcoat on the second picture from above.

    1. I don’t like the overcoat in the second picture, as it has a fur collar and it is about time this stops. Fur and fashion should not mix. I actually just read an article that fur is a USD 40bn revenue industry, which says enough about how many animals have to suffer. I appreciate fake fur is widely used, but this still fuels demand.
      Maybe it is time Pitti Uomo sets an example…

      1. @ Arnold S
        I’m really not an expert, but that fur collar looks very synthetical to me.
        Besides, the origin of wearing fur is simply that it’s structure is ideal for keeping warm. In some regions, there just is no alternative to a fur-lined ushanka. And then, with the quality of fake fur ever improving and propably also it’s costs sinking, it will ultimately prevail over real fur.

        Then, not all animals used for fur are kept in captivity, but also hunted, so they lived an appropriate life and don’t die under tortures, as long as the hunter is a skilled marksman.

  5. On the last photo, the obvious aside, can’t emphasize the importance of shoe edge dressing enough. Even the most expensive mens shoes can look hideous with enough neglect. Edge dressing isn’t the same as plain old shoe polish! Particularly when any color [other] than black.

    I believe the pair in the photo are AE Grayson’s ( I own 2 pair ) and they deserve better. Sprezzatura is one thing, but “fished out of a dumpster” another…

  6. Good to see that the reality that these dudes also have shoes that show some actual wear (read: character). Judging from a lot of the #menswear discussion of shoes, I get the impression that a single scuff or scratch is unstylish if not an outright disaster.

    I like Lino as a personality but have never been interested in the embroidered “7” tie either. That’s his birthday and his lucky number, not mine!

  7. Love that you managed to post a large number of photos, with not a single one featuring a peacock with a cigarette in his hand/mouth. No amount of nonchalant, alleged cigarette coolness makes up for the stinky breath/clothing, yellowed teeth and cancer it causes.

  8. The annual Pitti Uomo shoot here is always entertaining to view. Would have been nice to see some more shots of the photographer at work as well!

  9. Many of these people are hilariously sconsiderato in their attire. One can hardly contain one’s ridicule. Gentlemen…? Clowns, more like.

  10. Every year I see the pics of Pitti and I still don’t get it – most of these guys look like clowns.

    Maybe it is just me….

  11. Sven , great article! I completely agree with your thinking! I personally love borsalino hats and I always wear them with suits. Talking about excess.. I think real dandies are always searching for something unusual and spectacular;-) . Congratulations again for your precious gentleman’s gazette !

  12. What is this modern trend for men’s jackets to look a size too small – see picture above. It just looks plain daft. I saw a presenter on TV last week with this and it looked like he was trying to get in his old school blazer. Perhaps it’s a way to save money on cloth. Whatever the reason is is totally absurd and does not make for a good look

    Love to see hats are getting more popular but where is the Homberg? Such a distinctive style that cuts a dash. Trilbys are ok but can make you look well dodgy. At least you can buy a Homberg (first donned by King Edward the VII after a visit to the town of that name in Germany), easily on ebay, there are lots of suppliers. Versions from top hatters are hugely expensive but if you can afford it well worth the investment. Wanna get ahead, get a hat!

    1. Same for the jackets as for trousers. Super tight seems to be the new “fit”. Maybe it’s supposed to make men look younger, or maybe breathing and being able to move in one’s clothing just isn’t a thing anymore. We want to reduce or carbon footprint, won’t we ? Anyway, I couldn’t agree more. We really need clothes for actual men again, it can not be repeated often enough.

  13. Thank you for reporting, Sven!

    Judging on the pics, there’s little that’s inspiring. Are some of the participants playing a role? Some of them call themselves influencers now, but why?

    Strangely enough, I am most impressed by simple outfits like the guys from the Swedish Tweed Country Sports.

Comments are closed.